The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1890. Trade Unions as a Political Power

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 141, 22 May 1890, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1890. Trade Unions as a Political Power

The various organisations of laboring men which have been formed in New Zealand since the dock laborers strike in England took place, are likely to result in the formation of a power which may revolutionise our whole political system. The members of the several unions, or by whatever other designation these combinations may be known, will almost involuntarily be educated into a system the perfection of which will be unity. Although it seems almost an impossibility that such aggregates of men, composed, of so mauy different interests, could be brought to adopt and follow any one given line of action, yet the very fact of such associations already existing, each complete in itself, is a good and sufficient reason for believing that the whole could be amalgamated into a Union embracing every member of the wage earning class in the colony. The men have already learned the amount of good which may be derived from joining together to form a bond of mutual support; as well as defence. At present these combinations have been formed with the one object of obtaining "a fair day's wage for a fair day's work," but in the near future we may depend that they will be used for what may be called the higher purpose of sending men chosen from their own numbers to represent the laboring classes in Parliament. Of course what everybody knows will be brought in opposition to this, viz., that such representatives when they were sent . into the English House of Commons proved rank failures — not from any deficiency in themselves, perhaps, but simply because the higher social positions of the other members exercised a depressing effect upon them however hard they may have struggled against this degrading feeling. Such a thing could not happen in New Zealand for the very excellent reason that our social distinctions are not so strongly marked, and also because the representation is more decidedly, democratic. Another point in favor of the New Zeaianders would be that the higher intelligence which we know the working men in this colony to. possess, would be likely |o lead them to select for candidates only good and useful men ; not mere "blatherskites." A candidate who was not a real working man—- aud an admittedly superior one at the same time— would have very little chance of being elected or even nominated, while the "pothouse politician" or the '• carpetbagger 11 would be treated with the ignominy and the contempt they so well deserve. It will be readily understood that this forecast can only refer to the representation of towns. The country electorates are so scattered, and the interests of the residents and settlers are so different, that combination among them, for any purpose, either commercial or political, is very little. needed. But there is this danger. The gulf which it seems ordained should exist between the town and the country is narrow at present, but it is more than probable the (artificially) conflicting interests of the two may dangerously widen it, unless the greatest care and judgment be exercised by those who take upon thornselves, or have entrusted to them, the control and management of public affairs. A policy of mutual concessions will be the wisest and best, especially when it is recognised that " the working man vote" will always be the strongest while labor is combined to maintain its rights against .capital.